Reeperbahn Festival NYC Showcase Recap
Reeperbahn Festival hosted its music showcase here in NYC at The Delancey Georgie's Downstairs Lounge on June 14, 2022, with a line-up of rising European indie stars. We were delighted they invited us to attend as the showcase was free and open to the public from 8:30pm-midnight. We have to say, that was a treat on its own as you don't find many free events like that one, especially with the line-up they had that night. The gender-balanced roster included German music duo ÄTNA, British singer-songwriter Billie Marten, and Irish singer-songwriter SOAK. All three acts support Reeperbahn Festival's commitment to gender equality for underrepresented genders in the music industry. It is an underrated topic that isn't often discussed in the industry, so it was refreshing to see that as the showcase's main focus, especially during Pride Month. But you'll understand soon how this isn't anything new for the progressive music festival.
Now, let us start with a bit more information on Reeperbahn Festival and what it is. Reeperbahn Festival is Europe's premiere music festival and the most prominent international platform for pop culture and the music industry. Since 2006, all eyes on the international music scene have been on Hamburg's Reeperbahn four-day festival every year in September. The visiting public, artists, and music industry representatives have the opportunity to network, experience live music, and discover emerging talents. The Festival'sFestival's myriad of programs offers events from the visual arts, film, and literature, as well as debates and discussions. Reeperbahn Festival International now has Spin-Offs in Los Angeles, Nashville, and New York. The festival is once again at the forefront of change with a strong presence at this year's A2IM Indie week, which took place on June 13-16 here in NYC.
Reeperbahn Festival New York offered a forum at A2IM to address existing music-relevant and socio-political topics impacting underrepresented genders, including female, trans and non-binary writers, artists, and producers. They strive to promote international cultural exchange by helping music industry participants to enter new and relevant cultural markets. The festival advertised gender equality and diversity in the music industry through its partnership with the enterprise Keychange, which has promoted gender equality in the music industry for five years in Europe. In 2022, Keychange launched in the US with support from TuneCore, the global platform for independent musicians.
RBF NY organized informative panels and showcases to support the launch featuring a compelling roster of European newcomer music performances from women and gender minorities. This brings us to the main event we attended on June 14th at The Delancey. When we first arrived at the venue, we made our way downstairs to the lounge named Georgie's. We have been to this venue in the past but had never seen it the way we did that night. The Reeperbahn colorful poster with the act's names and set times greeted you at the door upon entrance, along with the buzz of people chatting and a light purple atmosphere. People who had attended the earlier panels and some newcomers like us packed the intimate music space as we waited for the live music to begin.
Thankfully we arrived just in time to catch Derry-born singer-songwriter Bridie Monds-Watson (they/them), a.k.a. SOAK, start their set. Their guitarist joined them on stage as the crowd, including us, slowly gathered closer. It was no surprise that SOAK is crazy talented with their simple yet witty storytelling and catchy guitar licks. Now one of the essential acts in Northern Ireland, they were featured on the long list of BBC Sound of 2015. Their official debut album 'Before We Forgot How To Dream' won the Choice Prize in Ireland, the Northern Ireland Music Prize, and was nominated for the Mercury Music Prize. They played songs from their recently released third album, 'If I Never Know You Like This Again', inspired by indie greats like Broken Social Scene, Pavement, and Radiohead's classic album 'The Bends'.
BBC Sound of 2016 list nominee Billie Marten hit the stage shortly after with her guitarist Will. Billie is someone we have kept our eyes on since first discovering her music a couple of years ago. She opened with "La Lune", which seemed to be a crowd favorite- we love that track. We soon discovered that Billie was not feeling quite well that night, but you wouldn't have noticed otherwise because she sounded terrific. Or, as she quipped, "You won't notice because I am a professional." Billie played songs from her latest album, 'Flora Fauna', which has more bass and rhythm than her previous projects, and also took song suggestions from the audience. At one point, she even sang "bless you" mid-song to someone in the crowd who had sneezed, making us all laugh. Her beautiful voice and fun personality shined through even with malaise; the woman sure is a professional.
Last and certainly not least were the 2020 ANCHOR – Reeperbahn Festival International Music Award winners ÄTNA. In just a few years, the duo went from being undiscovered to now being one of the most sought-after live acts in Europe and one of the most creative new electronic music acts. Light rings surrounded the scene, and a fog machine was turned on as the lights dimmed. Immediately we knew we were in for something completely different from the two previous performers. With only the ring lights and a table holding their music equipment in the middle, ÄTNA hit the stage, and so did the music, making it impossible to stand still. The combination of the lights, the fog, and the catchy tunes, made for the most stimulating musical experience. It was clear why they were the last performers, as their entire set was one big celebration bringing the night to a close. ÄTNA truly excels in creativity and musical innovation. In April, they released their highly anticipated second album, 'Push Life' — a playful, sensual, and surprising project in the best way possible.
We had a great time at the showcase, and we cannot recommend enough that you take the time to listen to the acts mentioned above. Thanks to Reeperbahn Festival New York and their team for hosting the showcase and having us, and to the performers for sharing their music and art with us.
Written by Piera Lolandes
Reeperbahn Festival International in New York is funded and supported by the German Foreign Office.
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